Are you a Design Leader or a Business Leader? YAP talks with Marzia Aricò

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In this episode we talk to Marzia Aricò  about design leadership and Marzia shares great stories that illustrate the key to creating traction and long-term impact as a design leader.

We particularly liked talking about Marzia's experience of taking design into London Business School and the challenges that she faced repositioning design as a way to generate commercial value, rather than a form of corporate entertainment or light relief. 

Marzia shares practical tips for those of you looking to make the jump from design expert into formal leadership roles,  and we talk about the attitudes, behaviours and competencies that you need to adopt, maintain and discard if you're going to transition successfully. 

About Marzia

Marzia Aricò is a strategic designer, leadership coach, and consultant helping large organisations navigate transformation through design. With over 17 years of experience, she works with executives and design leaders to build the mindsets, structures, and capabilities needed to make design a true driver of strategic decision-making.

Her work blends systems thinking, organisational design, and leadership development — turning complexity into clarity and intent into action. Marzia is the founder of Design Mavericks, a global community of design leaders shaping the next chapter of the discipline, and the author of Design Leadership Chronicles (BIS Publishers).

She regularly collaborates with senior teams across sectors and speaks internationally about the evolving role of design in governing intelligent, adaptive organisations.

Service Design YAP is developed and produced by the Service Design Network UK Chapter.
Its aim is to engage and connect the wider Service Design community.

• Episode Host: Stephen Wood
• Production Assistance: Jean Watanya